Knife Set Reviews

This is a fantasic set! Excellent weight, forged stainless steel. This is the perfect set for yourself, the experienced chef, or as a gift. The etched ends provide easy identification of tools in the knife block. It would have been great for Calphalon to provide the other 3 knives that would best complete fill the knife block as 3 slots are empty since the 6 bonus steak knives do not fit within. Perhaps they were giving the buyer an opportunity to select the completer knives. My suggestion: the tomato/bagel knife, the bird's beak, and a boning knife.

These knives live up to their description. They are first rate, high quality knives with a substantial casting and good sharpness out of box. I really like the contemporary handles with the knife description on the end of the handle. They are quite comfortable and have an excellent balance. They seem like they'll last a lifetime despite the lack of rivets on this style handle.
Only the steak knives are a bit of a disappointment- thus the four stars. Although they are also full tang construction they lack the bolster and just feel a bit lighter duty than the rest of the set. Nevertheless, even your toughest steaks will still cut like butter with these knives. I guess this is what really counts anyway.

I just bought my first set of Calphalon Contemporary cutlery and wow what a difference between this set and some other sets I've owned. The edges are incredibly sharp and the labeling concept is truly an ingenious idea. Not to mention the overall design of the product is fantastic. Design, balance, comfort, and a lifetime warranty for half the cost, how can you go wrong? I've owned lesser sets of cutlery before that have cost me far more money. I'm sold on Calphalon's latest line of cutlery and I know I'll never buy any other brand again.

What a great deal. The best I found on the internet. It arrived only 2 days after I ordered it & everything is top quality. My first Amazon purchace will NOT be my last!

I was expecting calphalon quality, but these knives just don't feel like they are quality knives.

Picked up this set for $79 at Amazon and did not expect too much. However this is not a cheap set of knifes. They are real sharp, solidly build and slice with professional authority. I had never known that a Chef's knife could slice vegetables so fast! If you do not want to spend $$$ on German steel (China made anyway, just like this set) and do not want a cheap knife set that is a waste of money after all, then consider this set. I think you will not be disappointed. For more extensive reviews please also check epinions.com.

These feel very good in the hand. The set has the perfect number of items to have on the counter top for almost all my usual, and some extraordinary, food preparation needs.

Even though I am a fan of the Calphalon cutlery line (I really think they beat the pants off of the German competition), this block leaves a lot to be desired. The block that came with my 15 piece set was pretty nice, and I ordered this block to house the additional knives that I bought. It appears to be the same design, but the quality control is awfull. Several glue joints were split open when I recieved the block, and the finish was not quite up to par. Given the low cost, I chose to glue and clamp the block into submission, rather than to send it back, but you might be better off buying a more expensive block to start with.

I've had this knife block for 5 months now and it shows absolutely no signs of falling apart. Calphalon must have improved the quality of their blocks or the other writer just got a bad one.

Mine is as good looking now as the day it came into my kitchen. I wiped it down (one time) with mineral oil--as I do with all my wooden kitchen products--and remains fully functional and I can find absolutely no signs that it will be any less 10 years from now.

After all, you don't use it for anything but knife storage, so how could it deteriorate?

First, I will admit to being a Calphalon snob - I have over 20 pieces of their cookware, both from Toledo (Go Mudhens!)and from China, and am aware of their value and quality.
So, with that knowledge, I must write my first dissapointing review for a Calphalon item.
These knives are not worth carrying the Calphalon name, or are worth the high price charged. They are poorly balanced, the balance point is approx 1" behind thew bolster, making the knife "handle heavy", so you must keep a good grip on the knife to keep it in your hand. The blade, though forged, will be impossible to sharpen, as the tip is serrated, and is hollow ground on only one side, producing a "chisel" sharpened blade = great for scraping a surface, as with a chisel, but not the best cutting edge - and nearly impossible to sharpen. The knife holder, though nicely machined, is made out of soft pine, rather than a hard wood that will stand up to normal wear and tear - and it has a decidedly sour, sappy smell which permiates the knives, making you wash them before each use. The best feature, in my estmation, is the handle, which is comforable in larger hands vs the skinny handles on many steak knives.
At approx fifty dollars for a set of four knives, I cannot recommend this set - it is worth about half that more suitable for sale at a discount or closeout.

Unlike all the other Chinese produced Calphalon products which carry very attractive prices, this is not the case with these knives, and do not compare favorably to Calpholon's other knives. Though forged, the knife blanks are considerably thinner in thickness, producing a very flexable blade more akin to a fillet knife than a meat cutter / slicer and are hollow ground on only one side of the cutting surface due to a serrated tip, making the blade impossible to sharpen. The balance point for the knives is approx an inch behind the bolster, making the knife a bit handle heavy, rather than balanced. The wood knife tray, though nicely machined, is made out of soft pine or aspen with no finish - it has a distinct pitch odor and is already serverely dinged and gouged from having to remove four rather large pieces of tape which afixed the plastic cover to the tray. Not very attractive - I suspect a short life for the tray. Had it not been for the fact that these knives were purchased as a package with a bunch more Calphalon, and received a fifty dollar off a future purchase certificate, thereby, in effect rendering these knives as "free", I would return these sub par Calpalon offerings. The form of the knives is good in concept, but the function / execution of the form leaves alot to be desired. If I had seen these during a late nite infomercial, I would understand, but these are supposed to be top shelf items. My first dissapointment from Calphalon.

I chose this set of knives because of the Calphalon name (I love my cookware!), German steel use, and the description, "Hygienic fiberglass-reinforced poly resin handle will not absorb moisture, crack, split, or chip." I was disappointed to find that one of the sets I ordered was already showing signs of rust -- even though the set was unused and delivered in a "sealed" box, all four handles had rust marks.

After using several sets of "included" steak knives with various cutlery blocks, I finally decided to buy a set of steak knives. These are very elegant, do a great job of cutting, and feel quite nice in the hand. So far, they have retained a good edge as well.

As with any knives, hand-washing is better for the blade, but these have weathered the dishwasher with no trouble.

Overall, for the price and the look, I am highly satisfied with the set.